My first show of the season opened with a lesson from Chemaine Hurtado. Riding with Chemaine makes me so hungry for more traditional dressage lessons. Don't get me wrong, I so appreciate what my own trainer is helping me do, but she'd be the first to tell you that she's not a dressage trainer.

The hunter/jumpers don't use their seats or other aids in nearly the same way as dressage riders do, so that is one area of my training that I am missing out on completely. Chemaine worked with me on weighting my inside seat bone and stirrup, especially as we approached the corners. We also worked on opening the outside rein to encourage Sydney to move his shoulders out.

Chemained tried to keep the lesson focused, but I still felt a bit overwhelmed by all the new information that she gave me. I have so much to learn. Sigh … There was one exercise though that I really grabbed onto and was able to apply immediately, however awkwardly.

The exercise was a suppling exercise, something that Sydney really benefitted from. As I crossed the diagonal at the walk, I asked for a bend but rode straight toward the letter (a shoulder fore). In more technical terms, "The inside leg remains active at the girth. The outside leg is slightly behind the girth to prevent the haunches from swinging out. Maintain the bend and proceed down the long side bringing the forehand off the track. Once the shoulders and forelegs have left the track, increase the outside rein aid to prevent the horse from over-bending to the inside."

We did the exercise in several different places in the arena. We did it down the long sides, of course, across the diagonal as I mentioned, and even down centerline. Once I understood the exercise, I was able to use it during Sunday's tests to keep Sydney focused on me as well as to help us make the 20-meter circles at B and E.

I've known what a shoulder fore and shoulder in are, but this is the first time that someone has shown me how to use them while schooling my horse. Now that I see how to use a shoulder fore, I can see how this will help loosen Sydney up and help me have better control.

Chemaine also showed me how to use this exercise to make crossing the diagonal easier. As I approached the corner, she had me change my weight aids (switch to the inside seat bone) and then change the bend. Tracking right, she also instructed me to open my outside rein while still maintaining contact to encourage Sydney to step into the left rein rather than cutting the corner.

I just realized that I kind of forgot to share a few details that will help explain why working with Chemaine on Saturday afternoon felt so successful. I first took Sydney to White Birch in December. He was so nervous that I wasn't able to leave the A end of the arena (pretty much where I stood to shoot this photo). When we went back in late February, we were able to school more of the arena, but it took Dr. Schacht holding us in place with the lunge line. For this visit, Sydney walked right in and was happy to school wherever I asked him. In fact, we did most of our work way down there at C in front of the judge's booth!

It could simply be a result of familiarity or me being more relaxed. I hope it's actually because I am becoming a better rider. And that's where my frustration comes from. Chemaine is a great instructor, but even she couldn't fix all of my problems in one lesson. It's clear that I have several areas that need some quick improvement.

While we were working on opening the outside rein, Sydney started rushing and running off. Chemaine was very patient, but I told her that when he is that strong in my hand, I simply don't have the skill to use both reins at the same time while weighting the inside seat bone. I need to use the bucking strap to hold myself in balance while I either soften with the inside rein, or ask him to slow down with the outside rein.

As Sydney started careening around the circle at C, Chemaine needed me to open the outside rein, flex the inside rein, and weight my inside seat bone. I just couldn't do it well enough to get a nice turn. She agreed that Sydney needs me to be a better rider, but she wasn't trying to discourage me. She was just pointing out what he needs.

I asked her to hop on him so that I could see what he can look like as well as watch how she handled his nervousness. Of course, he didn't look at all nervous with her aboard, nor did he get heavy in her hand. In some ways this helped me feel better as most of the work lies with me, not with him.

I got back on, and Chemaine asked me to really focus on two things: I need to sit much deeper, kind of like a sack of potatoes; and I need to not lean forward. By sitting heavy, she didn't mean to dig into his back, but rather encouraged me to lower my center of gravity. If I can keep myself from leaning forward, I'll help Sydney to lighten his front end so that he isn't struggling with my weight and his.

Sorry for all of the rambling. This stuff bores me to read, but right now, I am writing to help process what I learned. I was able to put into practice some of Chemaine's tips the next day at the show. I know you're dying to know how that went, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow!

You're doing well and Sydney is progressing. We all have our trials. Each lesson lately for me has been a lesson in how to not collapse my left ribcage when turning left. I may have had a breakthrough yesterday after reading a couple of suggestions in a book called 5-minute fixes to improve your riding by Wendy Murdoch.

I have a lesson this afternoon with my trainer Debbie so cross your fingers I fixed it or am on my way to becoming more aware of a good fix.

I have a leaning forward problem too probably from riding racehorses years ago or maybe because I sit hunched over a computer working all day now. Maybe I need to mount my monitors up high on a wall so I quit leaning over.

Sack of potatoes, that's funny, Debbie tells me constantly to ride with my bones not my muscles. I'm working at it. I'm also working to not schlump over the way a cutting/reining horse rider does (I do have a quarter horse I trained as a reining horse that I ride as well and that's a different story.)

I do know of Debbie, Desirea, but thanks for the connection. :0) I've met her several times and know that she is liked in your area, but a weekly trip to Tehachapi after a long work day is not really in my cards!

I know I lean forward because of a decade and a half of endurance racing. We lean to stay off their backs and help our own knees and hips. It's been a tough habit to break.

I don't have a notebook of notes, but I do have over 1,000 blog posts. When I need to revisit something, I use my website's search option and I usually find what I am looking for. It's not a very portable system though. :0)

Actually, the rambling helps. The idea of lower my center of gravity is key, here, I think. My first instinct when trying to canter is to slack the reins, lean forward and drum my heels. I've been told that is not very dressagy. Sitting back seems to me to be sitting down on his back, but now I can think about lowering my center of gravity and moving him forward from there.

For so many years I tried to stay off my horses' backs while we did 50 and 100 mile rides. It's tough to think about sitting deeply now. It's a very hard habit to change.

Reply

Desirea

3/18/2014 03:01:11 am

I have a couple of notebooks of diary notes about my riding plus a notebook where I take notes from the books that I read. I drive my trainer crazy when I bring these things up in lessons because I'm constantly asking about stuff.

Sometimes just the right words and the right metaphor finds a place for me to then feel it in the saddle. I hope that's clear.

Reply

Desirea

3/18/2014 03:03:35 am

Sitting back makes sense to me because it's driving from behind which is what every trainer over the years has told me for riding. Even on the racetrack when I was out of the saddle, I liked to keep feeling the weight run down my back and into my heels because you don't want to feel the ground in your face if they stick their toes in and duck back. Still happened but the key to sticking that duck back was to keep your weight down your back and into your heels.

Reply

Desirea

3/18/2014 03:32:20 am

This website might help, the book I mentioned earlier is from the person that developed this: http://www.murdochmethod.com/category/murdoch-minutes/

I enjoy the rambling! People who write entertainingly about their horses/riding/lives are pretty easy to find (and I appreciate them); people who can write coherently about the technical aspects are rare!

Sydney is really challenging you to step up as a rider... but I feel like you really enjoy that about him! And you are definitely improving, just keep at it and I bet at the end of the show season you'll look back at these posts and feel like they were a million years ago, instead of just a few short months!

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About the Writer & Rider

I am a lifetime rider. I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.​Welcome to my dressage journey.

About Speedy G

Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. We're currently schooling Third Level in preparation for the 2019 show season. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.

August 2018

About Izzy

Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are schooling the dressage basics. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.